


Fulfilled Promise

by EddyPat



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Character Death, F/M, Kataang - Freeform, Old Katara/Old Zuko (Avatar), Post-Avatar: The Legend of Korra, Zutara, love unfulfilled, maizuko
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 12:53:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29454120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EddyPat/pseuds/EddyPat
Summary: Katara and Zuko reunite after long years of not seeing each other in the Fire Palace, remembering old times and speaking of long lost loves.
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Kudos: 4





	Fulfilled Promise

_ I forbid you to die before me!" _ He remembered how she had said those words to him when he received a lightning pointed to her and she tried to heal him.

It has been many years after that, there was even a new avatar and new generations that succeeded then.

And now, both of them were inside the Fire Nation Palace, the former Fire Lord was staring at one of his lifetime friends: Gran Gran Katara from the Southern Tribe.

The last time they had seen each other like this was at her late brother's funeral, and that has been years ago.

Nearly two decades ago.

Both of them were sitting in one of the many rooms inside the palace, drinking some tea that had been brought all the way from the Earth Kingdom, specifically from the Jasmine Dragon.

"Lord Zuko, this tea is as splendid as the one from years ago... It reminds me of that time when my brother was trying to portrait us while your uncle served us tea wearing his typical apron and his usual cheerful smile." The woman showed nostalgia in her eyes while she had a side smile on her face while she spoke of those old memories.

"Of course Gran Gran Katara, it hasn't changed at all. To me, it reminds me of that last time I shared tea with my uncle. It's been so many years since we last spoke."

"Mister Iroh was a very respectable and honorable man until his end."

"According to the avatar, she has been drinking tea with him several times in the spirit world."

A small gasp came and then was replaced by a chuckle from the older woman with beautiful blue eyes.

"As expected from him, Mister Iroh was predictable but at the same time he wasn't.

"He was a man of great ideas, like that one, for example." He let out a long sigh, "although, when the war was over he proposed to me that you and I married. That it would bring great changes to the world, opening new opportunities for peace between nations and showing a change on its rulers and, in return, setting an example for the people... Shortly after that you rejected me Aang." He crossed his arms in front of his chest while reclining against the back of his seat.

"Are you telling me you wanted me to fulfill your political ambitions for your nation?" She was giving him a deathly glare with cold that would put out even the strongest fire.

"No no no no no no no! Don't get me wrong, when on the battle with Azula during the day of the comet and you saved my life, I still remember the words you said to me... After I joined you, you hated me as much as you could, but after we fixed things up and started getting along I started having certain feelings towards you. And when I was hit by the lighting... It was your words that kept me moving and made me want to tell you my feelings." He took a deep breath before he continued.

"When I confessed, you didn't say anything and just returned to the rest of the group. At that moment I had so many things in my mind... From what I was feeling towards you, what would respond would be, on how I could change the world if I found my happiness by your side, that I would have to have a talk with Mai about it. But all of that was over when you came back holding Aang's hand." He let out a small sight, looking down at his cup before he continued.

"I thought it would be just a phase that would last a few months, since we were still young and still had some time to decide about the future. By the time I realized we had brought back my mother and her new family, it seemed like you and Aang wouldn't end any time soon and I still had feelings for you."

"Then when it was your wedding I had to make a life of my own and form a family. I won't say I didn't love my wife but my feelings for you never disappeared as it was a love different from anything I've ever felt. Even now Katara, as time passed I continued loving you and even after 20 years since the last time I saw you, my heart was beating as hard and loud as the time I confessed to you."

She took a sip of her tea before she started speaking. "When was the last time we called each other by our names Zuko? Without adding any titles and just being the teenage kids we were and talked with each other without taking our eyes away for hours?" He stared at her with doubt clear on his face. "Like two kids with obvious curiosity for each other and with the whole weight of wanting to change the world that had been broken from even before we were born?"

"I won't say what happened that day with Aang, I don't want to since I loved him until his final day. But you were different, you changed the mood in such a way that confused me."

"We look like a couple of teenagers talking like this." He pressed his hands against the table, supporting himself to stand up. "I'm going to take a walk around the palace, I was thinking of going to feel the turtle-ducks if you want to join me." As they were both sitting in front of each other, Lord Zuko turned around the small table to stand in front of his visitor. He bent forward his body so their faces would be close and smiled at her before he gave a small kiss to her forehead. After that he walked towards the only door in the room.

"Zuko! I will join you." She stood up and walked towards him as fast as she could until she was by his side, he wrapped his arm around hers and started walking down the hall while the two of them smiled at each other, being greeted by any servant on the way with a reverence that stumbled upon them.

That night there was a fresh breeze in the air, the war heroes rested on their chambers. Gran Gran Katara was inside a room near the royal chambers. She had always received a good treatment while staying at the Fire Nation, although she hadn't been able to visit in the last few years. She smiled at the memory before she fell into a deep slumber, with beautiful memories from her days of youth. Meanwhile, the Fire Lord Zuko laid on his bed trying to sleep remembering the first years of his rulings and the problems he had with his friend.

The next morning, a guard knocked on his door frantically. The former ruler opened the door with a frown on his face with a good explanation that wasn't about how his grandson had burned the palace's gardens all over again.

"Apologies for the uproar lord Zuko, but Gran Gran Katara just passed away."

The scarred man couldn't get out of his stupor until the man in front of him handed him a folded piece of paper.

"Gran Gran Katara asked me to deliver this letter to you last night before going to sleep, allegedly I gave it to you until morning." 

He took the piece of paper and started unfolding it as he made his way towards the room where her friend had given her final breath.

_ Dear Zuko, you kept your promise and didn't die before me. I appreciate your feelings, as I have also loved you until my final heartbeat. I say goodbye before you start crying for me. _

_ My dear Zuko. _

**Author's Note:**

> Waaaah, this one hurt to write! Like, it always hurt to see those two in TLOK but they never got to met in the show so I wanted to make it happen here but when I did it ended up like this. This one is a little shorter because, well the angst. I really wished those two had ended up together, so much that I have more Zutara stories on the making, even when I still havedn't finished my "Slave of Fire" one. Should I start working on them or just focus on one at the moment?


End file.
